Cosmic Clock — Major Volcanic Eruptions & People

Click an eruption to see where it is, when it happened, whether it shook the whole planet or just its region, and what nearby cities and populations it affected (Pompeii, St. Pierre, Armero, etc.).

Global-impact eruptions here include examples like Toba, Tambora, Krakatoa, Pinatubo, Samalas, Huaynaputina, Laki, Kuwae and Novarupta. Many dates come from historical records + radiometric dating; for very old events we only know approximate ages, not exact day and month.

🌋 Eruptions

Eruption Volcano Scale Lat Lon Date / Age

🧭 Cosmic Clock & Effects

Select an eruption on the left to see:

  • Latitude, longitude, hemisphere, and latitude band (cosmic clock position)
  • Approximate season of the eruption (when the month is known)
  • Global vs regional climate effects (volcanic winter, cooling, etc.)
  • Nearby cities / populations and how they were affected